The Hot Spring Club Lobby and the Two Who Finally Walked In

On a hillside in Jiangcheng's western suburbs.

The Hot Spring Spa Club lay hidden at the edge of the lush mountain forest.

From the outside, it was almost excessively understated. There was no ostentatious, gold-plated entrance, nor any dazzling neon sign.

Driving up the winding mountain road, all one could see were a few white-walled, gray-tiled buildings arranged at different heights, half concealed by dense vegetation.

Rather than a commercial hot spring club,

it looked more like a secluded private domain for receiving guests.

It was not open to the public at all.

There was no ticket office where one could scan a code and buy admission, much less a boisterous public bath where hundreds of people crowded together like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

The club operated under a strict membership-by-invitation system.

Every private hot spring pool, dining area, and rest suite was designed around two central principles: privacy and quiet.

Its whole selling point was that it served only people who had been screened.

Rumors had long circulated in Jiangcheng's local circles that the boss behind the Hot Spring Spa Club had an unfathomably powerful background.

From the day it was established, this place had never been meant to make quick money through low margins and high volume. It was more like a private social domain that Jiangcheng's truly high-end figures shared by unspoken agreement.

So the materials used in its decor, the layout of its interior routes, its level of security, and even the sense of quiet that flowed through the air

all followed an entirely different logic from those high-spending establishments outside, where anyone who threw enough money around could be treated like a lord.

The place naturally carried a sense of distance that made people hesitate to approach.

As though silently telling everyone who came here:

Even if you have money, you might not be able to set foot through these doors.

Amid a high-pitched roar from its engine,

the eye-catching Miami blue Porsche 718 rolled over the speed bumps and onto the arrival drive in front of the Hot Spring Spa Club.

Chen Ziang sat in the driver's seat, one hand on the steering wheel.

During the drive, Han Dong's wild flattery and their high-speed dash along the elevated road had inflated his confidence to its very limit.

At the club's entrance, he instinctively wanted to make as grand a show as possible.

He pressed lightly on the accelerator, intending to park the convertible sports car right in the most conspicuous spot at the center of the lobby's main entrance.

As long as he parked there,

the moment he pushed open the car door, every gaze in the entrance hall would automatically converge on him.

That was the perfect entrance for a rich young master like him.

However,

the moment the car's nose turned,

a security guard in a crisp dark uniform and white gloves walked forward with steady steps, raised his hand, and made a textbook stopping gesture that left no room for criticism.

"Good day, sir."

The guard bowed slightly, his tone polite but firm in a way that brooked no argument.

"The area in front of the lobby's main entrance is for brief drop-offs only. Long-term parking is not permitted."

Chen Ziang froze for a moment.

He frowned and tapped his fingers on the leather steering wheel.

"I'm a member here."

"I booked your premium package for four today. Can't I park here even so?"

The professional smile on the guard's face did not shift a millimeter.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir."

"Club rules do not permit vehicles to occupy the drop-off zone. Please proceed to the regular VIP parking area ahead and park your vehicle there."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

After speaking, the guard took a small step back and gestured for him to continue driving forward.

There was not a single thorn to pick out of that manner.

But to Chen Ziang, it was like running squarely into a soft nail.

At the entrance to this club,

the guard had made no extra allowances or offered him any special treatment simply because his car was a Porsche sports car worth seven or eight hundred thousand yuan, or because its color was bright and its engine loud.

The 718 that could swagger around outside Jiang University's gates and draw countless gazes

seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary means of transportation here.

He forced an indifferent expression onto his face, concealing the embarrassment in his eyes.

He stepped on the accelerator, and the 718 could only slink down the drive toward the parking area to the side.

After parking,

the two walked into the Hot Spring Spa Club's lobby, one behind the other.

The heavy glass doors closed behind them.

The cicadas' cries and the summer heat outside were cut off in an instant.

The lobby's interior had a distinctly Zen design.

Dark gray natural stone floors, soft concealed warm lighting, a water feature trickling in the corner, and a faint, luxurious woody fragrance filling the air.

Uniformed concierges and front desk staff spoke in low voices.

Everything here conveyed a sense of order whose volume had been carefully turned down.

Once he stepped into this space, Chen Ziang's frustration at being rebuffed at the entrance finally began to subside.

He regained that familiar sense of superiority.

With Han Dong in tow, he strode over to the marble front desk.

"Hello."

Chen Ziang naturally took a card from his wallet and handed it over.

"I booked a premium package. The phone number ends in XXXX."

While the receptionist lowered her head to check the information,

Chen Ziang turned his head slightly and spoke to Han Dong in a tone that sounded casual but was really meant to educate him.

"Dongzi, this place isn't like those public bathhouses outside."

"The membership here is divided into four tiers."

Chen Ziang held up his fingers, listing them as though counting his family treasures.

"Gold, platinum, black gold, and the highest tier, diamond."

"The higher you go, the harder it is to get. Money alone won't do it. They also look at your standing in this city, the weight your referrer carries, and how much recognition you have in the local core circles."

He paused, a measure of barely suppressed pride entering his voice.

"My dad has been in the building materials business in Jiangcheng for so many years, and he only received an invitation at the beginning of this year and officially became a gold member."

The receptionist returned his identification with both hands.

"Mr. Chen, your reservation details have been verified. Please wait a moment."

Her manner was professional and respectful throughout.

She showed no sign of looking down on Chen Ziang because he was young, nor did she become excessively obsequious when he presented his gold membership card.

Everything proceeded strictly according to the rules.

Chen Ziang turned around.

He had thought that, after hearing his detailed explanation of the tiers and seeing the upscale decor here,

Han Dong, an ordinary college student from Northeast China, would be so awestruck that he could only stare blankly.

However,

when he looked closely,

Han Dong was looking around at the lobby's water feature and wood carvings. Although there was some curiosity on his face, his reaction was surprisingly subdued.

There was none of the nervous awe he had expected.

Chen Ziang was somewhat puzzled.

"Why aren't you reacting?"

He couldn't hold back and asked outright.

"Isn't this place high-class enough?"

Han Dong looked away and grinned guilelessly.

"It's definitely high-class enough."

He gave his assessment with a perfectly serious expression.

"The decor here really is tasteful, it smells nice, and it's damn quiet."

"But if we're just talking about scale and luxury, I've actually seen plenty of bathhouses like this back home in Northeast China."

Chen Ziang raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

Seeing that he didn't believe him, Han Dong laid out his hardcore theory on Northeastern bathing.

"Ziang, you have no idea how fucking awesome our Northeastern bathing culture is."

Han Dong gestured with both hands, explaining it point by point.

"Our bathhouses, from the lobby to the steam rooms, then the buffet and lounge areas, all have money poured into them like crazy to meet the standards of five-star hotels and imperial palaces."

"Take Qinghe Peninsula in Fengtian. It's a massive bathing complex that ranks among the best in the whole country. It's tens of thousands of square meters, with hot springs and even a water park. I used to go soak there all the time during school breaks in high school."

Han Dong patted his chest.

"So your place here looks more private, and it's more expensive too."

"But really, it's just so-so."

His words were well supported and full of the flavor of everyday life.

They dispelled more than half the oppressive aura of an unattainable social circle that Chen Ziang had worked so hard to create.

"To be honest, Boss Chen,"

Han Dong said, rubbing his belly, which had started to feel empty again, and offering an utterly down-to-earth summation.

"Compared with how upscale this lobby's decor is, or what kind of gold your family's membership actually is,

"I'm more interested in whether the seafood and wagyu buffet here actually tastes good."

Those words struck straight at the soul, leaving a breath stuck in Chen Ziang's chest, unable to go up or down, and he nearly lost his composure on the spot.

Just as Chen Ziang was about to offer a few words in rebuttal,

outside the lobby's heavy glass doors,

there suddenly came the faintest sound of movement.

The automatic doors slid open to either side.

Han Dong was the first to turn his head instinctively.

Chen Ziang followed his gaze.

Outside the doors,

two figures were passing through the access gates at an unhurried pace, stepping into the warm yellow light of the lobby.

Lu Chuan walked in front.

Zhao Yifan followed half a step behind and to the side.

Just like that, the two of them walked steadily into the hot spring club's lobby.